Bulls open to buying out Dwyane Wade — at their price

One of the most consistently asked questions of the Bulls offseason has been: How long will Dwyane Wade be on the team?

The simple answer is: That's up to Wade.

Remember: Wade chose to pick up his $23.8 million player option on June 20, a week before his June 27 deadline. Two days later, the Bulls began a full rebuild, trading Wade's running buddy, Jimmy Butler, to the Timberwolves.

If Wade had wanted to avoid a full rebuild, he could have waited to make his option decision until after the June 22 draft, always a historically busy day of trades. Instead, he opted in early — certainly his well-deserved right to such a large payday — and playfully texted Turner Sports' David Aldridge that he had "24 million reasons" why he did.

Speaking on "The Mully and Hanley" show on WSCR-670 AM Thursday morning, Bulls executive vice president John Paxson echoed the sentiment he stated in June when he said any buyout talks would have to be "advantageous" for the franchise. Translated: Wade would have to give up a significant portion of his paycheck.

So, again, the choice is Wade's: Serve as a veteran mentor, try to replicate the solid offensive level he played at last season and be paid handsomely to do so. Or give back enough money for the Bulls possibly to acquire a draft pick by taking on an unwanted salary in a future trade, allowing Wade to team up with LeBron James in Cleveland or return to the Heat.

While the Bulls haven't spoken with Wade directly regarding a buyout, Paxson did say on The Score that general manager Gar Forman has had dialogue with Wade's representatives in recent weeks. Bulls training camp begins Monday with media day activities. It's amazing what a deadline can do, and both parties seem to have urgency to eliminate any potential distractions.

"Some dialogue is going on," Paxson said on The Score. "We understand where (Wade) is at this time of his career. We're more than willing to work with him. But as I said ... we have to always do what's in our best interest. So there has to be something that is mutually agreed upon. It can't be something the player wins because that's what he wants.

"We want to work with Dwyane because we respect him very much. If he doesn't want to be here, then we want to do (the buyout). But again, the bottom line is always — and it has to be — that we have to do what's in our best interest."

To be clear: Wade has acted professionally throughout. He appreciated coach Fred Hoiberg flying to Springfield, Mass., two weeks ago when Wade received the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction weekend.

"The only thing I'll say is right now my plan is to be in (Bulls) training camp," Wade told the Tribune at that time.

But Wade, who turns 36 in January, also said he would rather be competing for championships at this stage of his career. And he wouldn't address the Butler trade or answer whether he would be comfortable staying with the Bulls in a mentoring role.

Some "he-said, he-said" leaks have surfaced painting Wade as a victim who got blindsided by the Butler trade. This could be a matter of semantics or selective listening. Management's brief exit meeting with Wade on April 29 emphasized the unknown — that the Bulls weren't shopping Butler but didn't yet know their future direction and always would do what they believed best for the franchise.

Just shy of two months later, management and ownership determined trading Butler and starting a full rebuild was the best route. Wade can be a professional part of that — and once was for a 15-67 Heat team in 2007-08 — or try to win elsewhere.